User blog:Deathblade 100/Revolutionaries and Horse Lords of the 20th Century: Roman von Ungern-Sternberg vs Jozef Pilsidski
The Horseman; truly is there anything as elegant as a mounted soldier riding down those pathetic infantrymen with lance and sabre? Wait, I'm getting off topic. Horsemen are obsolete in the 21st Century; but not in the early 20th Century. Despite the rise of motorised troops, cavalry still had a role to play. No more so than the First World War where the horseman had his last great hurrah. Roman von Ungern-Sternberg- The Mad Baron; who led a cavalry division into Mongolia on a quest to restore monarchy to Asia and Russia. VS. Josef Pilsudski- The father of the modern Polish nation; whose Polish Legions waged a bloody war against the Central Powers and Entente for independence. WHO...IS...DEADLIEST? To find out the history of war and modern science collide, as we test the weapons and tactics used by these instruments of war. We dissect their strengths and weaknesses and file them in for an all new battle to the death. It’s no rules, no safety, no mercy. It’s a duel to the death as we find out who is the Deadliest Warrior. Roman von Ungern-Sternberg Baron Roman Nicolaus Maximilian von Ungern-Sternberg was an anti-Bolshevik lieutenant-general in the Russian Civil War and then an independent warlord whose Asiatic Cavalry Division wrested control of Mongolia from the Republic of China in 1921 after its occupation. He was often referred to as Baron Ungern, or simply Ungern. Ungern was an arch-conservative pan-monarchist who aspired to restore the Russian monarchy under Grand Duke Michael Alexandrovich of Russia and to revive the Mongol Empire under the rule of the Bogd Khan. During the Russian Civil War, Ungern's attraction to Vajrayana Buddhism and his eccentric, often violent treatment of enemies, civilians, particularly and his own men, earned him the sobriquet the "Mad Baron". Ungern would prove to be effective, if almost insanely reckless cavalry commander, winning multiple engagements in the First World War and Russian Civil War, where he held a portion of Siberia around Dauria and Hailan on the Russian-Mongolian border, where he became infamous for atrocities against his perceived enemies, including Bolsheviks and Jews. Ungern was eventually expelled and forced to flee to Mongolia in 1920, but he took this as an opportunity to further his monarchist goals by expelling Chinese forces from Mongolia, taking the country and placing it under the rule of the Bogd Khan by February 1921, with the intent of eventually reviving the Mongol Empire. In the spring of 1921, the Red Army invaded Mongolia with the intent of eliminating the threat posed by Ungern. The Soviets defeated Ungern in multiple battles using armored vehicles, heavy artillery, and aircraft, before Ungern was finally captured in August 1921 after attempting to cross the Gobi desert to counterattack into the Soviet Union, after his men mutinied and turned him over to Soviet authorities. Ungern was executed about a month later. Due to his skill at fighting from a moving horse, man Mongolians considered Ungern-Sternberg the reincarnation of Genghis Khan; a fact he neith confirmed or denied. |-| Long Range= Mosin-Nagant M1891 Dragoon *Range: 500 metres *Round: 7.62x54mmR *Capacity: 5 |-| Medium Range= Mauser C96 *Range: 300 metres *Round: 7.63x25mm *Capacity: 10 |-| Close Range= Shashka *Length: 75 centimetres *Material: Steel *Traditional Cossack Sabre |-| Army= Asiatic Cavalry Division *Size: ~1000-2000 *Composition: Russians, Cossacks, Mongols, Buryats, Tatars, Chinese, Manchus Jozef Pilsudski Józef Klemens Piłsudski was a Polish statesman who served as the Chief of State (1918–22) and First Marshal of Poland (from 1920). He was considered the de facto leader (1926–35) of the Second Polish Republic as the Minister of Military Affairs. From World War I he had great power in Polish politics and was a distinguished figure on the international scene.1 He is viewed as a father of the Second Polish Republic re-established in 1918, 123 years after the 1795 Partitions of Poland by Austria, Prussia and Russia. Deeming himself a descendant of the culture and traditions of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, Piłsudski believed in a multi-ethnic Poland—"a home of nations" including indigenous ethnic and religious minorities that he hoped would establish a robust union with the independent states of Lithuania and Ukraine. His principal political antagonist, Roman Dmowski, leader of the National Democrat party, by contrast, called for a Poland limited to the pre-Partitions Polish Crown and based mainly on a homogeneous ethnically Polish population and Roman Catholic identity. Early in his political career, Piłsudski became a leader of the Polish Socialist Party. Concluding that Poland's independence would have to be won militarily, he formed the Polish Legions. In 1914 he correctly predicted the outbreak of a major war, the Russian Empire's defeat by the Central Powers, and the Central Powers' defeat by the western Allied Powers. When World War I began in 1914, Piłsudski's Legions fought alongside Austria-Hungary against Russia. In 1917, with Imperalist Russia faring poorly in the war, he withdrew his support for the Central Powers and was imprisoned in Magdeburg by the Germans. From November 1918, when Poland regained its independence, until 1922, Piłsudski was Poland's Chief of State. In 1919–21 he commanded Polish forces in six border wars that re-defined the country's borders. His forces seemed on the verge of defeat in the Polish–Soviet War when, in the August 1920 Battle of Warsaw, they threw back the invading Soviet Russian forces. In 1923, with the government dominated by his opponents, in particular the National Democrats, Piłsudski retired from active politics. Three years later he returned to power in the May 1926 coup d'état and became Poland's strongman. From then on until his death in 1935, he concerned himself primarily with military and foreign affairs. It was during this period that he developed a cult of personality that has survived into the 21st century. |-| Long Range= Mannlicher M.95 Stutzen *Range: 500 metres *Round: 8x50mmR *Capacity: 5 |-| Medium Range= Steyr M1912 *Range: 50 metres *Round: 9x23mm Steyr *Capacity: 8 |-| Close Range= Szablia *Length: 75 centimetres *Material: Steel *Traditional Polish Sabre |-| Army= Polish Legions *Size: ~7500 *Composition: Polish Battle The Eurasian Steppes Pilsudski: x7500 The thundering of hooves echoes through the steppes as Jozef Pilsudski's Polish Legions rode through the Russian camp; the cries of the wounded and dying quickly silenced by the cracks of rifles and pistols. Upon recieving a telegram from his lieutenant, Pilsudski orders five of his soldiers to scout ahead for the rest of the invasion. ---- Sternberg: x2000 Baron Roman von Ungern-Sternberg draws his C96 and fires into the crowd of captive Bolsheviks. His lieutenant, Boris Rezukhin watches at a respectful distance before approaching and requesting he lead a small reconnaisance squad to keep an eye out for potential enemies. Ungern nods his acceptance before drawing his Shashka and proceeding to execute the Bolsheviks. Rezukhin selects four of the Asiatic Cavalry and sets off. ---- As the Polish scouts continue to advance across the steppes, a crack from a Mosin fills the air. Rezukhin's reconnaisance force charges over the horizon, firing at the Polish soldier. On of the Poles fires a quick shot from his M.95 carbine downing one of the White Russians. Rezukhin fires several shots from his C96 killing one Pole and injuring another. Two of the Poles draw their Szablias and charge within melee range. Two of Rezukhin's scouts draw their Shashkas and move to engage. One of the White Russians severs the head from the wounded Pole, before having his throat cut open by a Szablia. Rezukhin orders his remaining men to withdraw. The Poles send one rider back to call upon the rest of the army. ---- Ungern listens furiously as his scouts recount their recent egagement with the Poles. Roman clenches his teeth and, unholstering his C96, fires at one of the scouts. Yelling at his men to follow, Ungern-Sternberg pulls himself into the saddle of his horse and rides off. His army, reluctantly, follows. As the Asiatic Cavalry advance, they see the full size of the Polish Legion materialise out of the horizon. Pilsudski's Polish Legions move into formation, rifles and Szablias glinting in the sunlight. Pilsudski watches the rag-tag White Russian army arrange itself. Roman Ungern draws his Shashka and yells an order; the Asiatic Cavalry Division charges. The Polish Legions take aim with their Mannlicher Stutzen carbines and open fire. The first volley of bullets cuts its way through several hundred of the White Russian's men. x300 As the Poles reload, the cracks of Mosins fill the air; dropping hundreds of the Polish. x200 As the Russians rechamber, another volley of Mannlicher rounds hit their targets. x200 Several of the Polish officers draw their Steyr M1912 pistols and join the fray, firing at the Russian army. Ungern's lieutenants draw their C96s and fire back, killing a handful of Poles. x4 A line of Cossacks breaks through the Polish lines, Shashkas unsheathed and slashing in all directions. x15 A Cossack charges towards Pilsudski, intent on killing the Polish general. Pilsudski calmly fires one shot at the Cossack from his M1912, while his men dispatch the rest. x12 Ungern's forces start to waver as the Poles continue to rain fire from their Mannlichers. x100 Over a hundred Chinese soldiers streamed from the battlefield in despair, followed by a similar number of Manchus. The remaining White Russians continued to charge forward only to be met with more rifle fire or Szablias. x50 Another unit of fifty Buryat cavalry fled the field, shattered. Rezukhin looked on as more of the Cavalry Division fled. As he glanced back to the battlefield, a Polish officer charged in with his Szablia; killing Ungern's right hand man. Some of the Russian forces that remained out of melee range opened fire; killing dozens of Poles. x36 Another Mosin volley found its mark. x30 Another volley of Mannlicher rounds impacted the Russian riflemen. x30 The remainder of the riflemen turned and fled the field in a panic. Ungern turned and watched his army falling apart in front of him. Furiously, he ordered the remainder of his army to draw their Shashkas and charge forward. The remaining members of his army charged in. The remains of the army were cut down by Mannlicher and M1912 fire. x500 As the few survivors streamed off if retreat, Ungern drew his C96 and charged forward. Another volley of bullets struck the Mad Baron down. Pilsudski observed the battlefield and the fleeing White Russian army and, raising his hand in the air, yelled "Polska!" in victory. Notes Battle is set in Steppes and Fields. The battle will be in two parts: an initial skirmishh of 5 vs 5 and a clash involving both full armies. Votes must be at least one paragraph long and have good spelling, punctuation and grammar. No bias. Voting ends on the 12th of February. Category:Blog posts